

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
Girls collect water from a well in Hajjah province, north Yemen on December 11, 2020. (Photo: Mohammed Al-Wafi/Xinhua via Getty)
Twenty international aid groups on Tuesday urged U.S. President Joe Biden to refrain from restoring the Trump administration's terrorist designation for the Houthis--warning that reinstating the label would have devastating impacts on civilians already struggling to survive amid a worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen.
Biden was praised last year by peace and anti-hunger advocates for rejecting former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's eleventh-hour designation of Ansar Allah--as the Houthi movement is officially called--as a "Foreign Terrorist Organization" (FTO) and a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" (SDGT).
However, the White House is now "considering reversing that reversal and redesignating the Houthis as a terrorist group at the request of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates," The Interceptreported Tuesday. "The Houthi rebels who have controlled Yemen's capital since 2014 recently launched a rare attack on the UAE for its participation in the Saudi-led war in Yemen."
Oxfam, Refugees International, and 18 other humanitarian organizations operating in Yemen wrote in a public letter to Biden that "we remain united in our strong opposition to a decision that would have catastrophic consequences for Yemeni civilians."
The groups continued:
The considerations that drove your administration to lift the previous designation have not changed since last year--and living conditions for Yemenis have only worsened. A re-designation would further devastate the economy by hitting the private sector, specifically importers and businesses that provide a majority of Yemen's basic commodities like food, fuel, and medicine. The country is experiencing alarming levels of food insecurity right now, with the worst-affected Yemenis at risk of famine.
Given that Ansar Allah maintains control over one-third of Yemen's territory and an estimated 70% of the population, the effects of a new designation would be widespread and immediate. It could also diminish the flow of humanitarian assistance at a time when organizations like ours are already struggling to keep pace with immense and growing needs. In addition, we have been worried about the conduct of hostilities in Yemen and believe a re-designation could embolden the sense of impunity that has characterized the behavior of parties to the conflict to date.
Almost one year ago to the day, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that "the revocations are intended to ensure that relevant U.S. policies do not impede assistance to those already suffering what has been called the world's worst humanitarian crisis."
Mercy Corps chief executive officer Tjada D'Oyen McKenna said Tuesday in a statement that "Yemen continues to be one of the most difficult operating environments in the world for humanitarian organizations."
"A terrorist designation," said D'Oyen McKenna, "would not only further curtail the ability of organizations like Mercy Corps to provide lifesaving assistance to the most vulnerable communities in Yemen, but also obliterate the critical commercial sector that Yemenis rely on for access to basic goods."
According to the groups behind the letter, "There is no set of carve-outs or humanitarian exemptions that would counteract the designation's chilling effects on the importation of key commodities, remittances, and other financial services. NGOs cannot replace the private sector."
"At the beginning of this administration, you promised an approach to the conflict in Yemen centered on the needs of Yemenis," they wrote to Biden. "We implore you to keep faith with this approach and refrain from revisiting this designation which will be felt far more by Yemeni civilians than by Ansar Allah."
The Intercept reported that Biden first raised the possibility of redesignating the Houthis as a terrorist group at a press conference on January 19.
"We are taking a close look internally within the U.S. government to determine what would best serve our national security interests; what would best serve our desire to be a partner to Saudi Arabia, to the UAE, to other countries that are threatened by these Houthi attacks," said the president.
The news outlet added that "Biden may also face pressure from members of Congress pushing for the terror designation. House Armed Services Committee Members Reps. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) and Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) are planning to send a letter to Biden pressing him on the matter."
During its nearly seven-year-long bombing campaign, the U.S.-supported Saudi-led coalition has conducted more than 24,000 air raids--injuring more than 10,200 Yemeni civilians and killing almost 9,000, according to the Yemen Data Project. An escalation of airstrikes last month resulted in a particularly deadly month in Yemen.
Related Content
Despite the Saudi-led coalition's lethal campaign, which has drawn accusations of war crimes, the Houthis remain in control of Sana'a--Yemen's capital and largest city--and much of the northern part of the country.
However, on Tuesday afternoon--just over a year after Biden promised to end U.S. support for "offensive operations" in the war on Yemen--the Saudi-led coalition reportedly bombed Sana'a.
Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) announced Monday that if Biden doesn't change course, they plan to introduce a new war powers resolution to "end unconstitutional U.S. participation" in the conflict.
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Twenty international aid groups on Tuesday urged U.S. President Joe Biden to refrain from restoring the Trump administration's terrorist designation for the Houthis--warning that reinstating the label would have devastating impacts on civilians already struggling to survive amid a worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen.
Biden was praised last year by peace and anti-hunger advocates for rejecting former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's eleventh-hour designation of Ansar Allah--as the Houthi movement is officially called--as a "Foreign Terrorist Organization" (FTO) and a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" (SDGT).
However, the White House is now "considering reversing that reversal and redesignating the Houthis as a terrorist group at the request of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates," The Interceptreported Tuesday. "The Houthi rebels who have controlled Yemen's capital since 2014 recently launched a rare attack on the UAE for its participation in the Saudi-led war in Yemen."
Oxfam, Refugees International, and 18 other humanitarian organizations operating in Yemen wrote in a public letter to Biden that "we remain united in our strong opposition to a decision that would have catastrophic consequences for Yemeni civilians."
The groups continued:
The considerations that drove your administration to lift the previous designation have not changed since last year--and living conditions for Yemenis have only worsened. A re-designation would further devastate the economy by hitting the private sector, specifically importers and businesses that provide a majority of Yemen's basic commodities like food, fuel, and medicine. The country is experiencing alarming levels of food insecurity right now, with the worst-affected Yemenis at risk of famine.
Given that Ansar Allah maintains control over one-third of Yemen's territory and an estimated 70% of the population, the effects of a new designation would be widespread and immediate. It could also diminish the flow of humanitarian assistance at a time when organizations like ours are already struggling to keep pace with immense and growing needs. In addition, we have been worried about the conduct of hostilities in Yemen and believe a re-designation could embolden the sense of impunity that has characterized the behavior of parties to the conflict to date.
Almost one year ago to the day, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that "the revocations are intended to ensure that relevant U.S. policies do not impede assistance to those already suffering what has been called the world's worst humanitarian crisis."
Mercy Corps chief executive officer Tjada D'Oyen McKenna said Tuesday in a statement that "Yemen continues to be one of the most difficult operating environments in the world for humanitarian organizations."
"A terrorist designation," said D'Oyen McKenna, "would not only further curtail the ability of organizations like Mercy Corps to provide lifesaving assistance to the most vulnerable communities in Yemen, but also obliterate the critical commercial sector that Yemenis rely on for access to basic goods."
According to the groups behind the letter, "There is no set of carve-outs or humanitarian exemptions that would counteract the designation's chilling effects on the importation of key commodities, remittances, and other financial services. NGOs cannot replace the private sector."
"At the beginning of this administration, you promised an approach to the conflict in Yemen centered on the needs of Yemenis," they wrote to Biden. "We implore you to keep faith with this approach and refrain from revisiting this designation which will be felt far more by Yemeni civilians than by Ansar Allah."
The Intercept reported that Biden first raised the possibility of redesignating the Houthis as a terrorist group at a press conference on January 19.
"We are taking a close look internally within the U.S. government to determine what would best serve our national security interests; what would best serve our desire to be a partner to Saudi Arabia, to the UAE, to other countries that are threatened by these Houthi attacks," said the president.
The news outlet added that "Biden may also face pressure from members of Congress pushing for the terror designation. House Armed Services Committee Members Reps. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) and Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) are planning to send a letter to Biden pressing him on the matter."
During its nearly seven-year-long bombing campaign, the U.S.-supported Saudi-led coalition has conducted more than 24,000 air raids--injuring more than 10,200 Yemeni civilians and killing almost 9,000, according to the Yemen Data Project. An escalation of airstrikes last month resulted in a particularly deadly month in Yemen.
Related Content
Despite the Saudi-led coalition's lethal campaign, which has drawn accusations of war crimes, the Houthis remain in control of Sana'a--Yemen's capital and largest city--and much of the northern part of the country.
However, on Tuesday afternoon--just over a year after Biden promised to end U.S. support for "offensive operations" in the war on Yemen--the Saudi-led coalition reportedly bombed Sana'a.
Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) announced Monday that if Biden doesn't change course, they plan to introduce a new war powers resolution to "end unconstitutional U.S. participation" in the conflict.
Twenty international aid groups on Tuesday urged U.S. President Joe Biden to refrain from restoring the Trump administration's terrorist designation for the Houthis--warning that reinstating the label would have devastating impacts on civilians already struggling to survive amid a worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen.
Biden was praised last year by peace and anti-hunger advocates for rejecting former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's eleventh-hour designation of Ansar Allah--as the Houthi movement is officially called--as a "Foreign Terrorist Organization" (FTO) and a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" (SDGT).
However, the White House is now "considering reversing that reversal and redesignating the Houthis as a terrorist group at the request of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates," The Interceptreported Tuesday. "The Houthi rebels who have controlled Yemen's capital since 2014 recently launched a rare attack on the UAE for its participation in the Saudi-led war in Yemen."
Oxfam, Refugees International, and 18 other humanitarian organizations operating in Yemen wrote in a public letter to Biden that "we remain united in our strong opposition to a decision that would have catastrophic consequences for Yemeni civilians."
The groups continued:
The considerations that drove your administration to lift the previous designation have not changed since last year--and living conditions for Yemenis have only worsened. A re-designation would further devastate the economy by hitting the private sector, specifically importers and businesses that provide a majority of Yemen's basic commodities like food, fuel, and medicine. The country is experiencing alarming levels of food insecurity right now, with the worst-affected Yemenis at risk of famine.
Given that Ansar Allah maintains control over one-third of Yemen's territory and an estimated 70% of the population, the effects of a new designation would be widespread and immediate. It could also diminish the flow of humanitarian assistance at a time when organizations like ours are already struggling to keep pace with immense and growing needs. In addition, we have been worried about the conduct of hostilities in Yemen and believe a re-designation could embolden the sense of impunity that has characterized the behavior of parties to the conflict to date.
Almost one year ago to the day, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that "the revocations are intended to ensure that relevant U.S. policies do not impede assistance to those already suffering what has been called the world's worst humanitarian crisis."
Mercy Corps chief executive officer Tjada D'Oyen McKenna said Tuesday in a statement that "Yemen continues to be one of the most difficult operating environments in the world for humanitarian organizations."
"A terrorist designation," said D'Oyen McKenna, "would not only further curtail the ability of organizations like Mercy Corps to provide lifesaving assistance to the most vulnerable communities in Yemen, but also obliterate the critical commercial sector that Yemenis rely on for access to basic goods."
According to the groups behind the letter, "There is no set of carve-outs or humanitarian exemptions that would counteract the designation's chilling effects on the importation of key commodities, remittances, and other financial services. NGOs cannot replace the private sector."
"At the beginning of this administration, you promised an approach to the conflict in Yemen centered on the needs of Yemenis," they wrote to Biden. "We implore you to keep faith with this approach and refrain from revisiting this designation which will be felt far more by Yemeni civilians than by Ansar Allah."
The Intercept reported that Biden first raised the possibility of redesignating the Houthis as a terrorist group at a press conference on January 19.
"We are taking a close look internally within the U.S. government to determine what would best serve our national security interests; what would best serve our desire to be a partner to Saudi Arabia, to the UAE, to other countries that are threatened by these Houthi attacks," said the president.
The news outlet added that "Biden may also face pressure from members of Congress pushing for the terror designation. House Armed Services Committee Members Reps. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) and Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) are planning to send a letter to Biden pressing him on the matter."
During its nearly seven-year-long bombing campaign, the U.S.-supported Saudi-led coalition has conducted more than 24,000 air raids--injuring more than 10,200 Yemeni civilians and killing almost 9,000, according to the Yemen Data Project. An escalation of airstrikes last month resulted in a particularly deadly month in Yemen.
Related Content
Despite the Saudi-led coalition's lethal campaign, which has drawn accusations of war crimes, the Houthis remain in control of Sana'a--Yemen's capital and largest city--and much of the northern part of the country.
However, on Tuesday afternoon--just over a year after Biden promised to end U.S. support for "offensive operations" in the war on Yemen--the Saudi-led coalition reportedly bombed Sana'a.
Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) announced Monday that if Biden doesn't change course, they plan to introduce a new war powers resolution to "end unconstitutional U.S. participation" in the conflict.
"What AOC is doing is leadership—and people see that," said one observer.
A poll released Friday from the progressive think tank Data for Progress has Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez besting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, also a Democrat, by 19 points in a hypothetical matchup in the 2028 New York primary for a U.S. Senate seat.
According to the poll, which was was first shared exclusively with Politico, 55% of voters said they would cast a ballot for Ocasio-Cortez or leaned toward supporting her, and 36% said they would support Schumer or leaned toward supporting him, with 9% undecided.
The only subgroup that supported Schumer over Ocasio-Cortez were moderates, who favored Schumer 50%-35%, with 15% undecided. Ocasio-Cortez carried all other subgroups with an outright majority, except for voters over the age of 45, 49% of whom said they would support her or leaned toward supporting her.
The poll—while several years out from the actual race—comes in the wake of Schumer's decision to throw his support behind a Republican-backed spending bill in early March, a move that roiled his own party and prompted calls for him to step aside from his leadership position in the Senate.
The episode also sparked murmurs among some Democrats that Ocasio-Cortez should consider a primary bid against Schumer in 2028.
The poll was conducted March 26-31 and surveyed 767 likely Democratic primary voters in New York state. According to Data for Progress, the polling indicated that the hypothetical matchup between Ocasio-Cortez and Schumer is "relatively static" and does not shift when voters are offered more information about the respective candidates.
Ocasio-Cortez recently declined to speak about a potential run for Senate in 2028, according to Politico.
"Replacing Chuck Schumer with AOC would be an incredible upgrade. I guess we'll have to wait four more years…," wrote Bhaskar Sunkara, president of The Nation.
Zephyr Teachout, a professor at the Fordham University School of Law, shared Politico's reporting on the poll and wrote: "Good morning to leadership and fighting oligarchy!"
"What I mean is that what AOC is doing is leadership—and people see that," added Teachout, who also highlighted that the poll found that an overwhelming majority of respondents, 84%, want their leaders to do more to resist the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Another observer, market researcher Adam Carlson, highlighted that despite Schumer's loss in the hypothetical race, most respondent subgroups still view him favorably, according to the poll. Besides "very liberal" voters and those between ages 18-44, Schumer stands at over 50% "favorable" among all other subgroups surveyed.
"People just want a changing of the guard," said Carlson.
"Trade and tariff wars have no winners," said China's foreign ministry. "We urge the U.S. to stop doing the wrong thing."
The Chinese government on Friday responded to U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping new tariffs with 34% import duties on all American goods beginning next week, intensifying global blowback against the White House and accelerating a worldwide financial market tailspin.
China's tariffs on U.S. imports, which match the tariffs the Trump administration moved this week to impose on Chinese goods, are set to take effect on April 10. Trump's 34% tariffs on Chinese imports come on top of the 20% tariffs the U.S. president imposed earlier this year.
"The U.S. approach does not conform to international trade rules, seriously damages China's legitimate rights and interests, and is a typical unilateral bullying practice," China's Ministry of Finance said in a Friday statement.
Additionally, China's Commerce Ministry announced immediate export restrictions on rare earth materials and "added 16 entities from the U.S., including High Point Aerotechnologies and Universal Logistics Holdings Inc., to its export control list," according to the state-run China Daily.
"Under the new rule," the outlet reported, "Chinese companies are prohibited from exporting dual-use items to these 16 U.S. entities. Any ongoing related export activities should be immediately halted, said the Ministry of Commerce."
Retaliatory tariffs from the world's second-largest economy mark the latest step in a global trade war launched by the Trump White House, which—despite warnings of disastrous impacts for working-class U.S. households and the broader economy—plowed ahead this week with a 10% universal tariff on imports and larger tariffs on a number of trading partners, including China.
Following Trump's official tariff announcement, Beijing condemned the duties as "unacceptable" and vowed to "take measures as necessary to firmly defend [China's] legitimate interests."
"Trade and tariff wars have no winners. Protectionism leads nowhere," said the spokesperson for China's foreign ministry on Thursday. "We urge the U.S. to stop doing the wrong thing, and resolve trade differences with China and other countries through consultation with equality, respect, and mutual benefit."
Other nations hit by Trump's tariffs are expected to respond in the coming days.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters Thursday that the E.U. was "already finalizing the first package of countermeasures in response to tariffs on steel, and we are now preparing for further countermeasures to protect our interests and our businesses if negotiations fail."
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed that "we are going to fight these tariffs with countermeasures."
"In a crisis, it's important to come together and it's essential to act with purpose and with force," Carney added. "And that's what we will do."
"What Republicans are trying to jam through Congress right now is a level of economic recklessness we’ve never seen before," said a group of Democratic lawmakers.
A new analysis indicates Republicans' plan to extend soon-to-expire provisions of their party's 2017 tax law, as well as their push to tack on additional tax breaks largely benefiting the rich and big corporations, would cost $7 trillion over the next decade, a figure that a group of congressional Democrats called "staggering."
The analysis from the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), published on Thursday, updates previous estimates that suggested the GOP effort to extend expiring provisions of the 2017 law would cost $4.6 trillion over a 10-year period. The new assessment shows that extending the law's temporary provisions—which disproportionately favored the wealthy—would cost $5.5 trillion over the next decade.
The projected cost of the GOP agenda balloons to $7 trillion after adding Senate Republicans' call for $1.5 trillion in additional tax cuts in the budget resolution they advanced in a party-line vote on Thursday. The GOP has come under fire for using an accounting trick to claim their proposed tax cuts would have no budgetary impact.
"The Republican handouts to billionaires and corporations will come at a staggering cost, and it's unconscionable that their plan to pay for those handouts includes kicking millions of Americans off their health insurance, hiking the cost of living with tariffs, and driving up child hunger," Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.), and Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) said in a joint statement issued in response to the JCT figures.
"Even after making painful cuts that will inflict hardship on typical American families, Republicans will still risk sending us into a catastrophic debt spiral that does permanent harm to our economy," the Democrats added. "What Republicans are trying to jam through Congress right now is a level of economic recklessness we've never seen before."
The JCT's updated cost analysis came as President Donald Trump plowed ahead with what's been characterized as the biggest tax hike in U.S. history, one that will hit working-class Americans in the form of price increases on household staples and other goods.
Trump administration officials, not known for providing reliable numbers, have claimed the president's sweeping new tariffs could produce roughly $6 trillion in federal revenue over the next decade. The Trump tariffs have sent financial markets into a tailspin, heightened recession fears, and prompted swift retaliation from targeted nations, including China.
In an appearance on MSNBC on Thursday, Boyle—the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee—said Trump's tariffs represent "the single largest tax increase in American history."
"It's a tax that everyone will pay in this country, based on the goods that they buy," said Boyle. "However, it's also a tax that is highly regressive—the poorest amongst us will end up paying a higher percentage of their income."
A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the analysis was conducted by the Congressional Budget Office. It was conducted by the Joint Committee on Taxation.